A USA Today article discusses the results of a recent report by Gallup’s Center onBlack Voices, which reveals changing attitudes toward local police among Americans, especially Black Americans, three years after nationwide protests against police brutality and racial injustice.

The report indicates that 69% of Americans express confidence in their local police, which marks a slight decrease from previous years (73% in 2021 and 2022). Specifically, around 56% of Black Americans report feeling confident in local law enforcement, while 64% of Hispanics and 74% of white individuals express the same confidence.

Notably, despite having some level of confidence in the police, Black Americans are more likely to support police reform, with 73% advocating for major changes in policing, compared to 56% of Hispanics and 48% of whites. Overall, 53% of all Americans surveyed support police reform.

The article highlights that attitudes toward policing remain an important indicator of the need for and success of police reforms, emphasizing that feeling confident in local police also relates to a sense of safety for Black Americans.

The report contextualizes these findings by noting that in 2020, Americans' confidence in the police hit a record low, driven in part by racial divisions, following the murder of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis. Although confidence increased in 2021, it declined to 43% in 2023. Importantly, the consistent pattern over three years of tracking shows that Black Americans' perceptions of policing in their communities have remained less positive.

Additionally, the article references a report by the Payne Center for Social Justice, which found that less than a third of Americans had interacted with law enforcement in the past year. Among those who did, Black Americans were less likely to feel they were treated fairly during these interactions compared to Hispanics and white respondents.

The report’s findings underscore progress made in the country but also highlight ongoing work needed to address racial disparities and ensure a better life for all Americans, regardless of their race or ethnicity. The article emphasizes the importance of continuing efforts to achieve racial equity and justice in the United States.